The Kreutzer Sonata, And Other Stories : Book 03, Chapter 04

1889

People

(1828 - 1910) ~ Father of Christian Anarchism : In 1861, during the second of his European tours, Tolstoy met with Proudhon, with whom he exchanged ideas. Inspired by the encounter, Tolstoy returned to Yasnaya Polyana to found thirteen schools that were the first attempt to implement a practical model of libertarian education. (From : Anarchy Archives.) • "There are people (we ourselves are such) who realize that our Government is very bad, and who struggle against it." (From : "A Letter to Russian Liberals," by Leo Tolstoy, Au....) • "...for no social system can be durable or stable, under which the majority does not enjoy equal rights but is kept in a servile position, and is bound by exceptional laws. Only when the laboring majority have the same rights as other citizens, and are freed from shameful disabilities, is a firm order of society possible." (From : "To the Czar and His Assistants," by Leo Tolstoy, ....) • "...the dissemination of the truth in a society based on coercion was always hindered in one and the same manner, namely, those in power, feeling that the recognition of this truth would undermine their position, consciously or sometimes unconsciously perverted it by explanations and additions quite foreign to it, and also opposed it by open violence." (From : "A Letter to a Hindu: The Subjection of India- Its....)

CHAPTER IV.

Very early the next morning, almost before the stars had hidden themselves
from view, there was seen standing before Polikey’s home a low wagon, the
same in which the superintendent himself used to ride; and harnessed to it
was a large-boned, dark-brown mare, called for some unknown reason by the
name of Baraban (drum). Aniutka, Polikey’s eldest daughter, in spite of
the heavy rain and the cold wind which was blowing, stood outside
barefooted and held (not without some fear) the reins in ore hand, while
with the other she endeavored to keep her green and yellow overcoat wound
around her body, and also to hold Polikey’s sheepskin coat.

In the house there were the greatest noise and confusion. The morning was
still so dark that the little daylight there was failed to penetrate
through the broken panes of glass, the window being stuffed in many places
with rags and paper to exclude the cold air.

Akulina ceased from her cooking for a while and helped to get Polikey
ready for the journey. Most of the children were still in bed, very likely
as a protection against the cold, for Akulina had taken away the big
overcoat which usually covered them and had substituted a shawl of her
own. Polikey’s shirt was all ready, nice and clean, but his shoes badly
needed repairing, and this fact caused his devoted wife much anxiety. She
took from her own feet the thick woolen stockings she was wearing, and
gave them to Polikey. She then began to repair his shoes, patching up the
holes so as to protect his feet from dampness.

While this was going on he was sitting on the side of the bed with his
feet dangling over the edge, and trying to turn the sash which confined
his coat at the waist. He was anxious to look as clean as possible, and he
declared his sash looked like a dirty rope.

One of his daughters, enveloped in a sheepskin coat, was sent to a
neighbor’s house to borrow a hat.

Within Polikey’s home the greatest confusion reigned, for the court
servants were constantly arriving with innumerable small orders which they
wished Polikey to execute for them in town. One wanted needles, another
tea, another tobacco, and last came the joiner’s wife, who by this time
had prepared her samovar, and, anxious to make up the quarrel of the
previous day, brought the traveler a cup of tea.

Neighbor Nikita refused the loan of the hat, so the old one had to be
patched up for the occasion. This occupied some time, as there were many
holes in it.

Finally Polikey was all ready, and jumping on the wagon started on his
journey, after first making the sign of the cross.

At the last moment his little boy, Mishka, ran to the door, begging to be
given a short ride; and then his little daughter, Mashka, appeared on the
scene and pleaded that she, too, might have a ride, declaring that she
would be quite warm enough without furs.

Polikey stopped the horse on hearing the children, and Akulina placed them
in the wagon, together with two others belonging to a neighbor—all
anxious to have a short ride.

As Akulina helped the little ones into the wagon she took occasion to
remind Polikey of the solemn promise he had made her not to touch a drop
of vodki during the journey.

Polikey drove the children as far as the blacksmith’s place, where he let
them out of the wagon, telling them they must return home. He then
arranged his clothing, and, setting his hat firmly on his head, started
his horse on a trot.

The two children, Mishka and Mashka, both barefooted, started running at
such a rapid pace that a strange dog from another village, seeing them
flying over the road, dropped his tail between his legs and ran home
squealing.

The weather was very cold, a sharp cutting wind blowing continuously; but
this did not disturb Polikey, whose mind was engrossed with pleasant
thoughts. As he rode through the wintry blasts he kept repeating to
himself: “So I am the man they wanted to send to Siberia, and whom they
threatened to enroll as a soldier—the same man whom every one
abused, and said he was lazy, and who was pointed out as a thief and given
the meanest work on the estate to do! Now I am going to receive a large
sum of money, for which my mistress is sending me because she trusts me. I
am also riding in the same wagon that the superintendent himself uses when
he is riding as a representative of the court. I have the same harness,
leather horse-collar, reins, and all the other gear.”

Polikey, filled with pride at thought of the mission with which he had
been entrusted, drew himself up with an air of pride, and, fixing his old
hat more firmly on his head, buttoned his coat tightly about him and urged
his horse to greater speed.

“Just to think,” he continued; “I shall have in my possession three
thousand half-rubles [the peasant manner of speaking of money so as to
make it appear a larger sum than it really is], and will carry them in my
bosom. If I wished to I might run away to Odessa instead of taking the
money to my mistress. But no; I will not do that. I will surely carry the
money straight to the one who has been kind enough to trust me.”

When Polikey reached the first kabak (tavern) he found that from long
habit the mare was naturally turning her head toward it; but he would not
allow her to stop, though money had been given him to purchase both food
and drink. Striking the animal a sharp blow with the whip, he passed by
the tavern. The performance was repeated when he reached the next kabak,
which looked very inviting; but he resolutely set his face against
entering, and passed on.

About noon he arrived at his destination, and getting down from the wagon
approached the gate of the merchant’s house where the servants of the
court always stopped. Opening it he led the mare through, and (after
unharnessing her) fed her. This done, he next entered the house and had
dinner with the merchant’s workingman, and to them he related what an
important mission he had been sent on, making himself very amusing by the
pompous air which he assumed. Dinner over, he carried a letter to the
merchant which the noblewoman had given him to deliver.

The merchant, knowing thoroughly the reputation which Polikey bore, felt
doubtful of trusting him with so much money, and somewhat anxiously
inquired if he really had received orders to carry so many rubles.

Polikey tried to appear offended at this question, but did not succeed,
and he only smiled.

The merchant, after reading the letter a second time and being convinced
that all was right, gave Polikey the money, which he put in his bosom for
safe-keeping.

On his way to the house he did not once stop at any of the shops he
passed. The clothing establishments possessed no attractions for him, and
after he had safely passed them all he stood for a moment, feeling very
pleased that he had been able to withstand temptation, and then went on
his way.

“I have money enough to buy up everything,” he said; “but I will not do
so.”

The numerous commissions which he had received compelled him to go to the
bazaar. There he bought only what had been ordered, but he could not
resist the temptation to ask the price of a very handsome sheep-skin coat
which attracted his attention. The merchant to whom he spoke looked at
Polikey and smiled, not believing that he had sufficient money to purchase
such an expensive coat. But Polikey, pointing to his breast, said that he
could buy out the whole shop if he wished to. He thereupon ordered the
shop-keeper to take his measure. He tried the coat on and looked himself
over carefully, testing the quality and blowing upon the hair to see that
none of it came out. Finally, heaving a deep sigh, he took it off.

“The price is too high,” he said. “If you could let me have it for fifteen
rubles—”

But the merchant cut him short by snatching the coat from him and throwing
it angrily to one side.

Polikey left the bazaar and returned to the merchant’s house in high
spirits.

After supper he went out and fed the mare, and prepared everything for the
night. Returning to the house he got up on the stove to rest, and while
there he took out the envelope which contained the money and looked long
and earnestly at it. He could not read, but asked one of those present to
tell him what the writing on the envelope meant. It was simply the address
and the announcement that it contained fifteen hundred rubles.

The envelope was made of common paper and was sealed with dark-brown
sealing wax. There was one large seal in the center and four smaller ones
at the corners. Polikey continued to examine it carefully, even inserting
his finger till he touched the crisp notes. He appeared to take a childish
delight in having so much money in his possession.

Having finished his examination, he put the envelope inside the lining of
his old battered hat, and placing both under his head he went to sleep;
but during the night he frequently awoke and always felt to know if the
money was safe. Each time that he found that it was safe he rejoiced at
the thought that he, Polikey, abused and regarded by every one as a thief,
was entrusted with the care of such a large sum of money, and also that he
was about to return with it quite as safely as the superintendent himself
could have done.